TAXI BILL OF RIGHTS

Rob Brown

CTV News Reporter

Rob Brown is a local lad from Ladner, who may have taken many taxis in his youth (if he were into the bar scene that is).

This award winning Reporter has been assigned the dangerous task of covering Taxi Stories. Rob and his Producer plant apparently valuable items in Taxi Cabs, and then monitor the Cabbie making him fall for the bait (or the viewers fall for the story?) His producer left a red bag with a laptop and 'GPS' device in a 'Black Top' cab. The Cabbie was later followed using the GPS and it was determined that he had taken the bag home. The story did not imply whether the cabbie in question was honest or not? But rather were cabbies in general honest at all?!

Our message to CTV Reporter Rob Brown "rather than waste time trying to convince the public that all cab drivers are thiefs, why don't you concentrate your efforts and media time on educating the public not to leave their valuables anywhere (include taxicabs). Maybe do something like a 10 step checklist!". Something like the checklist we have on our site.

There are bad eggs in every basket, but the public is not so naive as to believe your stories implying that all Taxi Drivers are thiefs. Taxi Drivers have served the community in the lower mainland deligently and respectfully for years, and will continue to do so. Regardless of your propaganda there are those that respect taxi drivers for the good work that they do.

Fact:
• Taxi Drivers find and return scores of valuable items everyday. Including Laptops and other valuables.
Fact:
• Taxi Companies give away hundreds of unclaimed items to charities each year.
Fact:
• Taxi Drivers are subject to some riders stealing their own possesions, cell phones, lunch boxes, etc. However they know that the exception does not make the rule, and continue to keep at their jobs; working with the public and treating them with respect, regardless.
Fact:
• Malicious items have been left purposely in Taxis to harm others.
• Explosions at Indian financial capital kill at least 44
  Innocent Taxi Drivers lost their lives to bombs planted by terrorists posing as tourists. With incidents like this happening in our world today, taxi companies should have a no nonsense approach towards items left behind in taxi cabs!

The above CTV Story has clearly targeted the whole 'Vancouver Taxi Industry', over a couple of complaints. When luggage is left at public places like the airport, the bomb disposal squad is summoned and the item is destroyed. We feel that only when luggage or other items are left in the trunk of a taxi, the onus falls upon the taxi driver, as he should oversee and help with transfering items from the trunk.

When passengers leave items in the back seat, other riders can find and keep them for themselves.

There are other public services that were not targeted.
• Airport, Bus Depot etc.
• BC Transit
• Pubs / Night Clubs
• Restaurants
and others, making this an unfair report

Taxi Drivers work long hours and do not have an organization that represents them collectively, giving them no opportunity to defend themselves against such misleading propaganda. Kudos to Rob Brown for taking pot shots at taxi drivers, who are mere sitting ducks.

Sitting ducks until the advent of Taxi Rights .Com

Taxi Rights .com will give Rob Brown One Hundred Dollars ($100) in Taxi Coupons if he can drive Taxi, incognito, for a full shift (12 hrs on Friday Night). We will make this a Thousand Dollars ($1000) if he does so with a hidden CTV Camera! And later air the tape. So everyone can see what goes on inside a Taxi Cab on a Friday Night.

Even cops in this city carry guns and work in pairs. They have protective shields even though they have handcuffed the culprits. Taxi Drivers in Vancouver and the lower mainland have no protective shield, work solo and unarmed at the mercy of the rider (and some CTV News reporters). They leave their famlies behind, and come work long hours in danger and dispair, only to be rewarded by one-sided, malicious stories, by some misguided elements of the media. We at Taxi Rights .com are going to use free media sites like www.youtube.com to broadcase videos to the world, about the happenings inside a taxi cab. Please keep yourself posted.